Bottle seal cutter



March 18, 1952 LE Y TH 2,589,742

- BO'TTLE SEAL CUTTER Filed July 25, 1949 Jrmentor m dzas v; I

Gttornegs Patented Mar. 18, 1952 BOTTLE SEAL CUTTER Le Roy Jack Smith, Detroit, Mich., assignor of one-half to George Cline, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 23, 1949, Serial No. 106,409 1 Claim. (01. 30-2) This invention relates to cutting devices and, in particular, to seal cutting devices.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved device for cutting the seals of plastic or other material on the necks of bottles, which is constructed in the form of a stamping having a. sharp-edged V-notch for easily engaging and quickly cutting the seal.

Another objectv is to provide a bottle seal cutting device which is in the form of an elongated flat metal plate having a handle at one end and a V-notch at the other end with sharp diverging cutting edges adapted to engage and sever the bottle seal adjacent the cork or other bottle closure with a simple turning motion of the bottle or of the device.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bottle seal cutter, according to one form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the cutter shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3--3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the device in use, and

Figure 5 is a cross-section through a modified bottle seal cutter taken along a similar line to the line 3--3 in Figure 1.

Beverage bottles, particularly those containing distilled liquors, are commonly provided with a sealing film of plastic or other suitable material extending over the cork or other closure and down to the neck of the bottle below the enlargement where the cork is inserted. In order'to open the bottle and remove the cork or other closure, it is necessary for the user to sever this sealing film. As this film is usually rather tough, and as the ordinary jackknife or kitchen knife is usually the only tool available for severing this seal, it is easily understood why accidents frequently occur in severing this seal by such means.

The present invention provides a tool which is of inexpensive construction yet which quickly and easily severs this seal without danger of any accident, such as frequently occurs when the point of the knife slips while the seal is being cut. The cutter of the present invention consists of a flat metal plate having a handle at one end and a V-notch with sharp diverging edges at the opposite end for severing the seal.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 'ShOWS a bottle -seal cutter, generally designated H], as consisting of a plate ll of metal or other suitable material having enlargements l2 and I3 at its opposite ends separated from one another by a reduced width or neck portion M. The enlarged portion l2 serves as a handle for the .grasp of the operator and the neck portion l4 for engagement by his fingers, as shown in Figure 4. A hole l5 serves for hanging the device from a hook or nail while it is not in use.

The enlargement l3 contains a V-notch l6 ex- I tending inward from the end thereof and having the surfaces l9 are of sufiicient extent to contain advertising matter. The cheapness of manufacture of the device readily adapts it to free distribution as an advertising novelty, and its usefulness insures that it will be kept handy by the 5 user.

In the use of the invention (Figure 4), the bottle seal cutter I0 is applied to the seal S on the bottle B immediately beneath the cork or closure C at the point where the annulargap occurs therebetween. The cutting edges I! are pressed firmly against the seal while the cutter ID or the bottle B is rotated or swung through an arc. The seal S is thus readily severed, freeing the cork or closure C from the bottle B and en- Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

abling it to be easily withdrawn.

The modified bottle seal cutter, generally designated 80a shown in Figure 5 is broadly similar to the bottle seal cutter I0 shown in Figure 1 as regards the general shape. In the modified bottle seal cutter Illa, however, the cutting edges lla are provided on jaws l8a formed on opposite sides of the device rather than on the same side as in In order to make the cutting edges Ila follow the same track, one of the arms of the enlargement 13a on one side of the v notch l 6a is bent transversely relatively to the other arm that the edges Ila are brought into substantially the same plane. This bending 3 is accomplished by the same dies which form the device itself. The forming of the bevels l8a on opposite sides of the device is in some respects more convenient for manufacture than forming them on the same side as in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

The operation of the modified bottle seal cutter Hla of Figure 5 is substantially the same as that of the bottle seal cutter I0 of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive as shown in perspective in Figure 4. The cutter Ifla is grasped and applied in the same manner, and the bending of the arms thereof to place the cutting edges [1a in the same plane causes them to cut a single kerf when the bottle and tool are rotated relatively to one another.

What I claim is:

A bottle seal cutter comprising a substantially fiat elongated plate of sheet material having an enlargement forming a handle at one end "and a second enlargement with a notch at the oppo- 4 site end, said enlargements having a relatively narrow neck portion therebetween with inwardly curved opposite edges, said notch having diverging jaws with substantially straight relatively sharp. cutting edges arranged in an approximately V-shaped formation thereon, said edges being beveled .on the opposite sides of said plate, and said jaws being disposed in different planes relatively to one another.

LE ROY JACK SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date Des. 142,202 Lanyon Aug; 14, 1945 2,142,695 Mainzer Jan. 3, 1939 2,276,476 Folger -4 Mar. 1'7, 1942 

